Prince Edward at St Helena

St Helena, the British overseas territory in the middle of the South Atlantic halfway between Africa and South America, received a Royal visitor in the last week of January.   

Staying at the Governor’s House for four days was Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, who took a special non-stop 5hr Falcon 2000 flight from Johannesburg.  

Visits by the House of Windsor are rare, King George IV and his immediate family coming via the battleship Vanguard in 1947, Prince Phillip ten years later and Princess Anne in 2002.

Those were in the days before the airport was completed in 2017 (see www.btnews.co.uk/article/12060).  With air scheduled services from Johannesburg the island is now not so cut off.

A must during the visit was an introduction to 192-year-old Jonathan, a Seychelles tortoise, reported to be the oldest living land animal in the world, with an estimated birthdate in the early 1830s. 

The Duke of Edinburgh undertook a series of engagements across the island, celebrating the culture, people, and biodiversity of St Helena, as well as meeting with members of the local community. 

See ON TOUR: St Helena.

https://sainthelenaisland.info

https://flyairlink.com

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